Study: Does Baker’s Yeast Increase Feed Digestibility?

A form of baker's yeast added to equine grain rations does not increase feed digestibility, a Brazilian study found. The study team, from University of São Pau, used 10 Arabian geldings for the study; they tested the volatile fatty acids, fecal yeast and bacterial counts, and serum endotoxin levels before during and after the yeast was added to the horse's meals. None was affected by the supplementation.

The research team also tested to see if there was a difference between when the horses were in work and when they were not; no difference was detected.

Published in Livestock Science, lead researcher Alexandre Augusto de Oliveira Gobesso noted that equine probiotics are not always evaluated for their effects. The research team says more studies are needed to clarify what probiotics do to intestinal microbiota and if training has any influence on probiotics.